Helping people and the planet thrive

• WWF and CARE sign a collaboration agreement to scale up years of joint efforts in Peru

• Minister of Culture, Dr. Luis Peirano highlighted the national value of this powerful alliance

Lima, July, 13th, 2013. “Today, more than ever, it is obvious that poverty and environmental degradation go hand in hand, as two faces of one reality which we need to address together”, stated WWF Peru’s Director Patricia León Melgar, minutes before joining Care Peru’s Director Milo Stanojevich, to formalize the collaboration agreement between both organizations.
This promising alliance was sealed in an event held on July 12th in Lima, although in practical terms the partnership has already been conducting some of the most groundbreaking experiences in terms of sustainable development nationwide.
Whether through promoting reforestation and best agricultural practices with coffee growers in the Tabaconas Namballe National Sanctuary, or fostering the first successful experiences on payment for hydrological services between private companies, the government and farmers in the Jequetepeque river basin, WWF and CARE have pioneered in promoting a healthy ecosystems - healthy livelihoods approach, in the face of climate change.
As acknowledged by Steven Chapman, Chief Conservation Officer from WWF US, both organizations add up to almost 100 years of experience, and under this context, the offices in Peru prioritized the need to formalize this joint vision as a compass for ongoing and future initiatives.

In this regard, the Ministry of Culture, Dr. Luis Peirano highlighted the importance of this commitment. “I want to stress the value of this union, since, as President Humala recently stated: going on our own might be fast and easy, but going together we might get further”, he said.

The presence of Minister Peirano was also the opportunity for both organizations to strengthen relations with the government towards an increasingly coordinated work in benefit of the most vulnerable peoples in Peru, under a framework of environmental sustainability.
At the end of the event a joint vision was shared with the audience, aiming towards landscapes in which marine and terrestrial ecosystems are thriving and the people who depend on them have better lives, as natural resources are managed for both current and future generations.